CO129-522-9 Chinese labour in Western Samoa 22-10-1929 - 19-1-1931 — Page 3

3

Chinese Free Labour Ordinance, 1923, copy of

labourer

which is to be found in 11713/24 Jominions

below. Amongst other provisions the

following appears: - Section 2. No

hereafter arriving in Western Sdmoa.......

shall hereafter be under any circumstances

criminally punishable by fine, imprisonment

or otherwise for any breach of a contract

of service

The statement of the terms which is attached

states that the engage-

to the same 1924 paper

ment is for a term of 3 years at the end of

which the labourer will be repatriated, but

I approved

after Consideration a labourer may engagef

for a further period of 3 years. As regards

an extension of the period of the service

by

to 4 years, the 0.1.G.of Hong Kong states

that 3 years is the usual term for contracts

in the South Seas and is longer than the

term for the East Indies, the distinction

being due to the greater expense of conveying

emigrants to the South Sea Islands and to the

fact that most Administrations in these

islanus do not encourage free settlement

Chinese and are therefore liable to incur

heavy expenditure on account of labourers

repatriated at the end of their term. The

O.A.G. sees no objection to the extension of

the term to 4 years, except that the labourer

will be prejudiced in so far as his oppor-

tunity of making a better bargain with his

employer as a condition of renewing his

agreement,will be deferred for the extra

year, and from the point of view of the Hong Kong

Government